[An Nahar] U.S. President Barack ObamaHow's it going, Sunshine?... on Friday claimed a mandate to raise taxes on the rich to pay for deficit reductions, firing his first post-election shot in a year-end budget showdown with Republicans.

"We can't just cut our way to prosperity. If we are serious about reducing the deficit, we have to combine spending cuts with revenue, and that means asking the wealthiest Americans to pay a little more in taxes," he said.

The president also announced in a punchy, televised White House statement, his first public appearance since his election night address, that he would call top Republican and Democratic leaders to the White House next week.

The talks will focus on averting the so-called "fiscal cliff" -- a catastrophic blend of automatic tax rises and harsh spending cuts due to come into force on January 1, which could cause a new recession.

Obama signaled a willingness to compromise on the details of a deficit reduction plan, but he made clear that his bottom line principle involved rejecting the Republicans' flat refusal to raise any taxes.

"This was a central question during the election, it was debated over and over again. On Tuesday night, we found that the majority of Americans agree with my approach."

#2
Rich like me, thus saith The One... And thus saith Byonce, demeaning the wealth of The Romney, 'cause his total wealthy if far less than her half billion.... oh, the plight of the poor.

How about channeling some of that angst, backed by funds, to those "I voted for Obama 'cause he so managed Sandy" to those people who may not have voted for Obama, stranded on Long Beach, Staten Island, and other small towns/communities in the North East?

Oh, I forget, ya'll all did a big TV benefit, so others could give of their funds.

Now, go get back into you Prius Limousine.... as you wave your next IRS tax bill that you are so gladly paying for the "Tax on the Rich."

#8
Given that Obama won 8 of the 10 wealthiest counties in the US, I'd say make them live up to their own words. Remove all deductions and write-offs on incomes greater than 500K. Oh, and repeal the Hollywood Tax Cuts while you're at it. Do it for the children.

In 54 days, $7 trillion in tax hikes and spending cuts over the next decade will automatically go into effect. If America goes over this "fiscal cliff," experts say the already rickety U.S. economy could implode.

To avert the economic calamity, on Wednesday Speaker John Boehner offered President Barack Obama a "bridge" to help the nation safely cross the fiscal cliff.

"Mr. President, this is your moment. We're ready to be led--not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans," said Mr. Boehner. "We want you to lead, not as a liberal or a conservative, but as president of the United States of America."

Mr. Boehner said he sought "common ground" with Mr. Obama and was open to "new revenues.":

"In order to garner Republican support for new revenues, the president must be willing to reduce spending and shore up the entitlement programs that are the primary drivers of our debt."

#2
I doubt Boehner means increase or expand. But taking the long view, I think that is exactly what Republicans should encourage. Not to rock the boat: but to sink it. Give people what they voted for, good and hard. Don't just compromise; grant Dems' every wish and stand aside, to Make. Them. Own. It. To stave off a repeat of this plague for a good long time. Whoever is in charge when the music stops will be radioactive forever - a far better time to be spectators than participants.

#3
I doubt much will be accomplished prior to the holiday recess. They have so little time remaining. Obama has nothing to gain from compromise. I fully expect the clock to run out and both parties will blame each another. Investment income from the boomers is the target, and they will get it through increased taxes and indirect taxes (gov't insurance schemes).

In his brand new op-ed at the NYT, Paul Krugman makes the loudest case yet that Obama shouldn't rush into any kind of big "deal" with the GOP on averting the fiscal cliff.

Liberals have been going in this direction for awhile, arguing two things: Hitting the fiscal cliff would not be a huge catastrophe right away, and the GOP has lost a lot of leverage, so there's no reason to cave to their insistence on everything.

So Krugman tells Obama not to reach his hand out to far:

In saying this, I dont mean to minimize the very real economic dangers posed by the so-called fiscal cliff that is looming at the end of this year if the two parties cant reach a deal. Both the Bush-era tax cuts and the Obama administrations payroll tax cut are set to expire, even as automatic spending cuts in defense and elsewhere kick in thanks to the deal struck after the 2011 confrontation over the debt ceiling. And the looming combination of tax increases and spending cuts looks easily large enough to push America back into recession.

Nobody wants to see that happen. Yet it may happen all the same, and Mr. Obama has to be willing to let it happen if necessary.

Why? Because Republicans are trying, for the third time since he took office, to use economic blackmail to achieve a goal they lack the votes to achieve through the normal legislative process. In particular, they want to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, even though the nation cant afford to make those tax cuts permanent and the public believes that taxes on the rich should go up  and theyre threatening to block any deal on anything else unless they get their way. So they are, in effect, threatening to tank the economy unless their demands are met.

Krugman then goes on to make a very critical point, which is that there's no really a "cliff."

#1
Krugman -- give it up --- Obama doesn't listen to anyone, including you.... just his own, inner, smartest man in the world voice...

And let's hear your words, when even the NYTimes decides it can't afford the insurance premiums it is paying for you, thus, takes the Fed's penalty, and each according to his need, you must fork over 7% of your gross income (yes, I know what that means), to pay for your insurance.

#2
Watch you Kenyan puppet closely Mr. Krugman, you may soon have a control problem. His deep seated hatred will cause him to dispise the Hora and inevitably turn on you and your entire Moravian cabol. He dances to a far different drumbeat. Brilliantly executed plan however, I must hand it to you.

#5
For once I'm in full agreement with the Krugmaniac. 60 million pseudo-Americans, plus the several million who should have known better but stayed home and denied the good guys their votes, have shat in made their bed and now need to lie in it. The Trunks' official attitude should be that "now that you've told us what you want, we're going to let Ogabe give it to you. Good and hard."

#6
Obama surrounded himself with Middle Class Americans at his news conference the other day. I started having deja vous all over again. I recall that prior to our getted hosed with ObamaCare, he surrounded himself with a bunch of phony doctors in white coats. That is usually a prelude to being asked told to bend over, getting it, and being told to like it. If you happen to question things then you are a racist. Or worse you are lectured to extensively that you are an ingrate because you don't happen to appreciate his beneficence.

#1
In the 1950s, a prosperous city of nearly two million people, with the highest per capita income in the nation. Today, after a half century of Blue State policies and leadership, the place looks like Detroit.

#4
I cannot believe Petraeus was naive enough to have left a trail of what has been called steamy personal emails which the FBI then investigated related to a bigger investigation. C'mon, the guy was the head of the CIA. I've also heard that CIA insiders were never happy with his promotion to top spook over long time career people. He said he was happy to testify before Congress and all of a sudden he is not going to testify. Sounds like the kind of choice Rommel was given by Hitler, a brutal death and an ignonimy or cyanide and a heroes funeral--Rommel chose cyanide. We have had famous generals in the past who had affairs in theater such as Eisenhower and others. These things don't make a big splash. Was Obama trying to groom the Democratic Party for its candidate whoever it is in 2016 by knocking off a possible Republican contender, Petraeus. Don't know, just asking.

#5
Paula Broadwell is a ring knocker from West Point. Author of "All In." Married, mother of two. Lives in Charlotte, N.C. Ph.D. candidate at London school. Fitness buff. Doesn't seem like a security threat. Michael Yon said he knew her in Afghanistan and there were rumors then.

Many of the school's alumni have gone on to careers in international service:
Condoleezza Rice - 66th U.S. Secretary of State; former National Security Advisor; former provost, Stanford University[20]
George W. Casey, Jr. - Chief of Staff of the United States Army.[21]
Cindy Courville - U.S. Ambassador to the African Union; former special assistant to President George W. Bush and senior director for African Affairs, National Security Council; former senior intelligence officer, Office of the Chief of Staff, Defense Intelligence Agency[22]
Captain Gail Harris - Former U.S. naval officer, the highest-ranking African American female in the United States Navy upon her retirement in December 2001.[23]
Jami Miscik - Former Deputy Director for Intelligence at the CIA, Vice-Chairman of Kissinger Associates, Inc. in New York.
Masouma Al-Mubarak - Minister of Communications and former Minister of Planning & Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs of Kuwait.
Heraldo Muñoz - Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations; Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Paul Trivelli - Former U.S. Ambassador to Nicaragua.
Susan Waltz - Professor of public policy, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan; former chair, Amnesty International, International Executive Committee; board member, American Friends Service Committee.
M. Javad Zarif - Former Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations.Paula Dean Kranz Broadwell - Author, archivist and biographer of retired General and former CIA director David Petraeus
Michelle Kwan - U.S. Olympic Figure Skater and current State Department employee.
Guy Padgett - Former mayor of Casper, Wyoming; the state's first openly-gay elected official

#15
To me it seems pretty obvious that Ogabe attempted to blackmail Petraeus. Because what he knows could get Ogabe impeached. Petraeus had to come clean to have any credibility as a witness, if he is ever to assist in bringing that about. I think Ogabe's probable malfeasance is the real issue - the affair is just a distraction. A man doesn't just suddenly burn his whole life to the ground unless he has something very important to say.

#17
You can bet your ass the Director of the FBI informed POTUS the instant a cloud came over General Petreaus. The narrative that somehow POTUS knew nothing until Petreaus contacted him this week is nonsensical.

#23
FBI had to know about this before he was confirmed CIA. Which means AG knew. which means Zero knew. He was probably even nominated with that knowledge in pocket, meaning they would always have leverage over him if they needed it.
Now that it's out and he's out, they still have leverage - his pension, and conceivably jail time or other punishment if he testifies without permission (NDA) which he won't get. So they probably won't subpoena him.
Next 'coincidence' - seems his wife works in the WH - did she know and exert revenge?

The book began as research for her dissertation, a case study of Petraeus' leadership. It evolved into an authorized biography written with Washington Post editor Vernon Loeb after President Barack Obama put Petraeus in charge of Afghanistan in 2010.

#25
In one of threads of one of the links, I read Ms. Broadwell did a stint with black ops. No much more was mentioned. Maybe that meant the lights were out in this entire steamy affair. Or maybe she did do a stint with the CIA at some time. The FBI had to know Petraeus had this in his background prior to confirmation. They do a fairly thorough job when vetting. Its just elected presidents who don't get vetted.

#27
The thing is ... that they could have given Petraeus a graceful exit - especially this past week. He could have been allowed to step down quietly. With all the changes in the Administration after the election - it would have gone unnoticed.

If the witness goes ahead and testifies with negatives against Hussein, blame it on a now "disgruntled former employee". After all, it is all about Obama and not the lifetime service of a US Military 4 Star General who did more for America, which is less important to this corrupt regine that is harboring Obama who is doing all he can to complete the total destruction of America.

#30
If he can't keep one oath (Love, Honor and Cherish) how can we trust that he'll keep another (Defend and Protect)? Same grievance I had with WJ Clinton. Me, I'd prosecute to the full extent of the law.

that's the part i'm having a big problem with. Here's a man who dedicated his life to his country and served us overseas with distinction. Yet he gets fed to the wolves like this?? It shows a singular lack of respect for a lifetime of honorable service. OK - he messed up. But it could have been handled quietly and let the man retain some dignity.

#34
The purpose of PAtreus' resignation in this fashion is to suck up the news cycle. It gets the ones focused on Benghazi off track and provides "blocking" for all the other dopes in America that voted for the guy. He is impeachable overt this, but to impeach you will need popular support. Look for another cycle sucker in a few days.

A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.

Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
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Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
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